Carpets liven up your interiors like nothing else can. They add a touch of class, a dash of opulence, and a feeling of welcoming warmth. But all of that only comes from a clean and tidy carpet. A dirty or stained carpet can be an ugly eyesore. In some cases, carpets can even start to smell bad, making them the breeding ground for bacteria and germs.

The solution? Carpet cleaning. Thankfully, carpets are not all that difficult to clean. As far as regular dust goes, regular vacuuming will ensure your carpet stays clean. Just don’t procrastinate and turn carpet cleaning into an annual chore – you will save yourself a lot of hassle. You can always hire professional carpet cleaning services and we recommend that you do so at least once every six months. Household carpet cleaning prices have come down a lot and are now easily affordable. That said, most minor stains and spills can be easily tackled with readily available tools and cleaners.

Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, you can get rid of the most common stains quite easily – provided you know how to deal with them. Here are some DIY ways to clean your carpet stains that actually work!

Important DIY Carpet Cleaning Tips

• Clean Stains Immediately: Fresh stains are easiest to remove. Once a stain sets in, they can be incredibly difficult to remove. Leaving them for later, even overnight, can mean you will have to call in a professional or worse, replace the entire carpet.

• Dab and Blot – Never Wipe: That is pretty self-explanatory. Use a sponge or cloth. It helps you soak or remove any unabsorbed grime and gunk. During the actual cleaning, dabbing prevents the stain from spreading. Even “wax on-wax off” circular motions are a no-no.

• Use Cleaning Agents in Moderation: Using too much soap or other cleaning agents can be counter-productive. Some chemicals, like hydrogen peroxide, when used in excess, will bleach the dye in the carpet fibres too. This could lead to dull colours and awkward faded spots in the affected area. You may also use carpet stain removers that are available online and in many hardware and home care stores.

• Dry It: Dab the area with a clean dry towel to soak up any liquids left over after the cleaning. Leave the fan on or even use a hair dryer (sparingly, don’t blast the spot!) to assist with larger or wetter work areas.

Now that you know the basics of DIY carpet cleaning, let’s look at how to deal with the common stains that we deal with in an average Indian urban household.

{Also there is a video to help you out}

Common Carpet Stains

• Chewing Gum: Wrap some ice in a towel and place over the gum. After some time, it will harden and you should be able to scrape it off later with lukewarm water

• Non-Oily Foods and Mud: Common food and snacks like chocolate, ice-cream, confectionery, etc. are the easiest to deal with. Scrape off what you can with a clean tissue or cloth, taking care not to spread it further. Mix some liquid soap or mild detergent with water. Your final cleaning agent should have no more than a fifth of soap. Soapy water also works. Dip a tissue or cloth in this solution and dab the area until the spill is completely gone. Rinse (by dabbing, of course) the area with lukewarm water.

• Oily Foods: This works well for most Indian food and other greasy food like pizzas and pasta. First, remove what you can with a cloth or tissue. Scrape off any remaining food with a blunt knife. A butter knife should work well. You may be able to get a similar result with a spoon handle. Next, layer the spot with a few paper towels or tissue paper. Heat a clothes iron to its lowest heat setting. Iron the paper towels to soak up the oil and grease. Use very little pressure. Forcing the iron down can drive the grease deep into the fibres. You may have to replace the tissues and repeat if the spill is large. After the oil is gone, prepare a cleaning agent with a little white vinegar, soap, and lukewarm water. Use a cloth to dab the affected area. Finally, rinse with lukewarm water. More stubborn stains left by Haldi and other food colours may require hydrogen peroxide. Check the section about how to use it below.

• Pet Urine and Droppings: As much as we love them, there are moments when we wished our pets wouldn’t relieve themselves at the worst time and place. Most modern pet stores have organic carpet stain removers and cleaning agents specifically for moments like these. But if you don’t have one, start by cleaning up what you can immediately. Next, prepare a cleaning mixture with 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of lukewarm water. Ideally, you should use a spray bottle, but a cloth dipped in the solution also works. Apply over the soiled area and let it sit for a few minutes. After about 5 minutes, blot with a dry cloth. If the stain remains, sprinkle some baking soda and use the vinegar mixture to clean it up. If you do not have baking soda, try using club soda instead.

• Make-Up: Most make up stains are easily removed with soapy water. More stubborn stains may be removed with a make-up remover, but be careful as they may damage the carpet. Never use nail polish remover as it will bleach and damage the carpet. If you have acetone, dilute and use it for more stubborn stains. Nail polish stains cannot be removed by this method.

• Haldi, Dyes, Paint, Nail Polish, Blood: Normally, this is the point where you stop any DIY attempts and call in the experts. But if you are feeling bold, there are ways to get rid of these stains with household chemicals. Be aware that these may damage your carpet!

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best carpet stain removers at your disposal. Ammonia is another. However, ammonia is a hazardous chemical and must be used only if you know what you are doing. Hydrogen peroxide is relatively safer but always ensure you use highly diluted solutions. Further, never use it at the outset. First, always try to clean a stain using one of the methods described earlier. Only if that fails should you resort to using hydrogen peroxide. It is a fairly strong bleaching agent, so use it sparingly and wipe off the area immediately after. This will take care of almost every stain. If you are unsure in any way of these chemicals, please do not use them. Give us a call instead.

Despite your best efforts, carpets will naturally accumulate dirt and dust over time. If you have pets, pet dander compounds the problem. You should get your carpet cleaned by professionals at least once every six months. The frequency needs to be higher for large and joint families or if you have many pets. Carpet cleaning prices vary based on the number of carpets and their sizes. You can always contact us to find the best deal available for you!